Saint Vitus's dance

American  

[vahy-tuh-siz] / ˈvaɪ tə sɪz /

Or Saint Vitus' dance

noun

1. St. Vitus's dance.

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Saint Vitus's dance British  

/ ˈvaɪtəsɪz /

noun

1. pathol a nontechnical name for Sydenham's chorea

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Etymology

Origin of Saint Vitus's dance

C17: so called because sufferers traditionally prayed to Saint Vitus (3rd-century child martyr) for relief and were said to be cured by a visit to his shrine

Example Sentences

Don’t come straggling into the office one morning muttering, “First, gout. Now ague, biliousness, lumbago, Saint Vitus’s dance and dropsy. What’s next, apoplexy?”

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2019

She is pale and emaciated; she has Saint Vitus's dance.

From Shallow Soil by Hyllested, Carl Christian

"I believe it isn't uncommon for children to get well of Saint Vitus's dance," said Millard.

From The Faith Doctor A Story of New York by Eggleston, Edward

The humorist wrote back: "Yes, rheumatism and Saint Vitus's dance."

From Toaster's Handbook Jokes, Stories, and Quotations by Fanning, C. E. (Clara Elizabeth)

S. Saint Vitus's dance, 240. symptoms of, 241. treatment of, 242.

From The Dog by Dinks